I was told this is Ash, but it is redder than other Ash I have had and the grain of some of the splits sort of looks like Oak. Options. Sorry no bark. It didn't come to me with bark.
Top pic, right corner looks like beat up shag bark, and the end grain of the larger piece (same pic) looks like shag as well.... Which would make it a SWEET score
I hope it is shag bark. It will be my highest BTU wood and will be stacked in the barn with the honey locus and red oak. We will see what the consensus is. The logs were about 10 ft long and quarter split when I received them. So I have a good bit to split up. I have never processed any shag bark, but got a truck load from my son-in-law when he moved. It was a great burner.
Doesn't look like ash to me. Haven't cut any shagbark yet, so I can't comment on that. But by this time next year I will have several shagbark tops to cut.
Marshel54, can u post a few pics that might have even the slightest bit of bark? Like the one in the top pic. That would really help.
If it were ash it would most likely have the EAB tracks carved out on the surface. Bug galleries or not, what you have doesn't look like ash at all. Shagbark is usually a bit stringy when split. So I'm not so sure of that possibility either. This his shagbark that I'll be burning within a few hours.
Not ash, dont look like oak either to me. Did count over 90 growth rings on it though iffn my eyes are not messin with me.
I think it is Red Elm, which is a pretty dense wood. Shagbark typically has two-toned wood, with a dark center and light sapwood. Maybe old Shagbark would look different, but I am not sure. This isn't ask. It isn't oak. Something about this makes me think Red Elm, but I am just guessing.
I just went out and looked and there is no EAB tracks at all where the bark use to be. Red elm? Does it split like American Elm? This split pretty easily with very little stinginess. As I remember, American Elm was bear to split in the 60's when dad us to cut. Brought a couple pieces in to burn and it didn't burn worth a crap. Of coarse my moisture meter said 26%, but the wood wasn't up to room temp. yet. I have burned Ash that was standing dead for years and it burnt fine the same year as it was downed.
As that wood acclimates to IAT, the resistance should go up, resulting in a higher MC %..... Good reason for it not burning worth a darn.....
I guess that one piece I keep referring to in the top pic right corner was already in your wood pile? Maybe so.....
Some red elm for comparison. Not mine mind you but is the growth girth of the wood a good way to identify a tree? I know for living in the northwest that cedar trees and redwoods are similar as their growth at the base looks alike yet they can be diffrentiated. Wonder if this applies here. Im scientific as much as you can get as far as identification goes. But Im aware of rules to ID not to use as they are not generally conclusive.
